Love (Cirque du Soleil)
In 2000, George Harrison and Guy Laliberte began discussions that would eventually birth a theatrical production. Three years of negotiations followed between surviving band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Beatles widows Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono also participated in the talks. The holding company Apple Corps Ltd joined the process alongside the Mirage hotel. An agreement finally emerged after these extended conversations. Neil Aspinall served as the first executive producer for the project. Dominic Champagne shared credit for creating the show concept with Gilles Ste-Croix. Chantal Tremblay took on the role of creation director.
Tickets went on sale the 19th of April 2006 for the new Las Vegas venue. Preview performances ran from June 2 to June 29 before the official gala opening. The event occurred on June 30 at the Mirage Hotel. Attendees included McCartney, Starr, Ono, Cynthia Lennon, Julian Lennon, Olivia Harrison, Dhani Harrison, and George Martin. This gathering marked the biggest reunion of the Beatles family since their breakup. At the end of the performance, McCartney, Starr, Olivia, Ono, and Martin appeared onstage together. Key parties met again on the 26th of June 2007 for the first anniversary celebration. They unveiled a plaque at the Mirage Hotel in memory of John Lennon and George Harrison. Backstage tours began offering visitors access to wings and training rooms starting in late October 2010.
The Love Theatre housed 6,351 speakers distributed throughout the venue. It contained 2,013 seats arranged around a central stage area. Each seat featured three speakers including a pair embedded in the headrest. Jonathan Deans designed the complex sound system for the space. The stage included 11 lifts capable of moving 20,000 pounds each. Four traps and 13 automated tracks and trolleys operated within the structure. Thirty-two digital projectors created high-definition panoramic images across one hundred feet. Digital displays on two walls above the audience emphasized show elements during transitions. High-definition projectors generated enormous images on four translucent screens that could unfurl to divide the auditorium. The venue cost more than $100 million to construct as a circular theatre in the round. The furthest seat sat only 98 feet from the center of the stage while the closest was 23 feet away.
George Martin and his son Giles Martin worked with the entire archive of Beatles recordings. They sampled 120 songs to create 27 musical pieces for the performance. Lyrics and instrumentation from one song blended into the next through careful mixing. Many original Abbey Road Studios recording session tapes were re-orchestrated to inspire dance and acrobatics. A new version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps matched the first studio demo with a string arrangement written by George Martin. This composition stood as the only new piece of music in the entire show. A commercial soundtrack album of the production released in November 2006. Unlike most other Cirque productions featuring live music, Love used prerecorded material exclusively. The result represented an unprecedented approach to creating music for a stage production.
Producers updated the production leading up to its tenth anniversary in July 2016. Changes included imagery, costumes, acts, and additions or removals of some music. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the show to shut down from March 2020 until August 2021. On the 10th of April 2024, Cirque du Soleil announced that the show was ending. The final performance took place on July 7, which marked Ringo Starr's 84th birthday. The Mirage will be redeveloped as a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino reopening in 2027. The Love Theatre will not be rebuilt in the new hotel facility. No plans have been announced to reboot Love elsewhere. A documentary titled All Together Now about the making of the show released on the 20th of October 2008.
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Common questions
Who created the Love theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil?
Dominic Champagne and Gilles Ste-Croix shared credit for creating the show concept. Neil Aspinall served as the first executive producer for the project.
When did tickets go on sale for the Love show at the Mirage Hotel?
Tickets went on sale the 19th of April 2006 for the new Las Vegas venue. Preview performances ran from June 2 to June 29 before the official gala opening.
How many speakers were installed in the Love Theatre venue?
The Love Theatre housed 6,351 speakers distributed throughout the venue. Each seat featured three speakers including a pair embedded in the headrest.
What date was the final performance of the Love show scheduled for?
The final performance took place on July 7 which marked Ringo Starr's 84th birthday. On the 10th of April 2024 Cirque du Soleil announced that the show was ending.
Why does the Love show use prerecorded material instead of live music?
Unlike most other Cirque productions featuring live music Love used prerecorded material exclusively. This result represented an unprecedented approach to creating music for a stage production.